John Mariani / The Post-StandardOccupy Syracuse member Ryan O'Hara sits up in the bedroll where he slept in the open overnight near downtown Syracuse's Perseverance Park. He and two other members slept there while a fourth kept vigil during the first night after the group's encampment was evicted by city officials.

Syracuse, NY -- One night after Syracuse officials tore down their tent village, three members of Occupy Syracuse slept out in the open in front of One Lincoln Center near Perseverance Park while a fourth stood watch.

Shortly before 6 a.m., Ryan O'Hara and Devon Petroski roused themselves from the nest of blankets on the sidewalk where they had spent the night. Petroski's bedroll was behind the Centro bus shelter at South Salina and West Fayette streets. O'Hara's was on the pavement between the shelter and the park, where a sign posted early Thursday forbids park use between dusk and dawn.

Jon Grey remained in slumber in his bedroll near O'Hara's.

O'Hara, shivering hard in the 18 degree cold, said members planned to sleep there "indefinitely."

"I don't think what we're doing is illegal," O'Hara said. As far as members know, their sleeping spot technically is not in the park, a parcel along the 200 block of South Salina Street owned by the Syracuse Urban Renewal Agency, a public benefit corporation headed by Mayor Stephanie Miner.

Occupy Syracuse had camped there for more than three months before Miner gave them 24-hour notice to leave on Tuesday and enforced it in a pre-dawn eviction raid on Thursday.

Miner and Fire Chief Mark McLees cited concern over propane tanks and propane-burning appliances fire officials found at the encampment. Miner said she had forbidden the group from having heat or electricity at the camp because of fire safety concerns.

The group is allowed to continue using the park, but Miner forbade them from setting up structures, or tables and chairs, and from staying overnight.

Sgt. Tom Connellan, speaking for Syracuse police, said the Occupy members are not allowed to sleep the park.

“Eventually it may come to the point where we have to enforce that,” Connellan said. Arrests would be the last option chosen, he said.

“Right now our main priority is that they are not setting up any type of permanent encampment,” Connellan said. “Obviously we’re going to be enforcing the fact that they are not allowed to bring any type of furniture or any type of tents or anything like that.”

There were no tents, tables or chairs there this morning. The three men slept on cushions on the pavement. Petroski said he slept in thermal underwear, a hooded sweatshirt, a fleece and a winter coat. He stuffed handwarmers into his gloves and his feet into his backpack, he said.

Police cruisers passed frequently overnight and one police car remained parked on East Washington Street nearby for long periods, but authorities made no attempt to move the sleepers, said Faith Cathcart, who stood watch.

Members have scheduled an "Occupy the Courts" protest this afternoon. A news conference is 1 p.m. at the James M. Hanley Federal Building. Members planned to gather in the hour prior.